We realized in talking to some of our long-time clients that there may be a little confusion about how The Events Company and SKY Armory work, both separately and together. So we'd like to help clear that up!

The Events Company (TEC), which has been in business for 18 years, is not changing. We are still your go-to for exceptional weddings, corporate meetings and events, Bat and Bar Mitzvahs, milestone birthdays and anniversaries (both social and corporate), galas, bashes, fundraisers, awards dinners, community events - you name it! We are an event planning and design company and we will help you plan your event at any location.

Our sister company, SKY Armory, is an event venue in downtown Syracuse. SKY has its own staff, which includes a sales manager, executive chef, food & beverage manager, event planners, and kitchen, dining, and service staff. SKY is an urban open-loft style space and it is one of the larger event venues in Central New York - SKY is able to hold up to 900 people between the two large ballrooms and has already hosted or booked many of the types of events listed above.

The companies, both owned by Nicole and Kevin Samolis, are two separate entities with their own staffs: The Events Company event planners and production team manage events at indoor and outdoor locations all over the region (and beyond). SKY Armory's staff handles events held only at SKY Armory.

When you come to The Events Company about your event, depending on your projected headcount, event style and vision, we may suggest SKY as a venue if we think it's right for you. If you select SKY Armory as the venue for your event, you'll still work directly with your TEC planner, who will liaise with the management staff at SKY to help schedule decor meetings and tastings.

SKY is not only one more great local venue in our arsenal of top venues in the area, it provides a very different atmosphere than other locations where you might have held events. If you choose another location for your event, your TEC planner will guide you through the planning process and day-of management.

As always, our goal is to ease the stress and pain of event planning for you and help you create a memorable event that people talk about long after they depart.

Event and wedding planners are often asked about the essential elements that make an event special. The more obvious answers of good food, music, and decor are all true, but something that people hosting events usually don't think of is flow -- how people will move through the event space.

All of our planners spend a lot of time considering options when designing the layout for a wedding, gala, fundraiser, or bash. The purpose of the event helps to guide the process and, of course, the venue configuration has a significant role as well.

From there the specific needs of the event - be it a dance floor, stage or platform for a speaker or performer, the bar, seating and tables, and any transitions (i.e. fabric draping) - inform the plans for the space.

In a recent post on BizBash, Josh Tierney, director of style and design for planning company Great Performances, said: “The best parties have a mix of seating that takes the personalities of guests into account—lounge seating by the dance floor for the party animals, lots of high-tops and tall communal tables by the bar to create a bar scene, a dark lounge tucked away so that wallflowers feel cool and have a space to observe, traditional guest seating for older folks, and a reserved place for senior management to hold court. Building the floor plan should take real people into account.”

A past article from InTents Magazine outlined some best practices for designing good event flow. In addition to aesthetics, there are safety concerns as well: you don't want guests tripping over power cords or sitting at tables that are in the way of the bathrooms or kitchen door.

In the article, Kelly Murphy of Pompano Beach, FL-based Panache said: “Walking the space with the client is also very helpful,” she says. “People do not always see things that can be obvious obstacles, like trees, ground covering in terms of selecting the proper tent option for staking or construction, and guest accessibility. It is the foundation from which to build, so the initial phase of understanding the layout and being able to visualize it is vitally important.”

If you're planning your own event, try to visualize how people will enter and move around the space. Think about the pieces of the event and how it will progress. Of course, if you're hiring an event planner, he or she will be able to take all factors into consideration when laying out your event and will have contingency plans or be able to think quickly on their feet if something isn't quite right.

We've all been to at least one office party in the conference room for someone's birthday/shower/going-away party, right? It's always nice to take a break and fight the afternoon slump with a sweet treat (and celebrate a coworker), but why not step it up a notch with a few affordable decorations? Put down the styrofoam cups and thin paper plates from the office kitchenette and try something a little more fun.

Simple and cute -- yet more environmentally-friendly than the usual party supplies -- plates, cups, and napkins from Susty Party are compostable, non-toxic, and made from renewable materials in America.

A little confetti, like this blue pack from Acme Party Box, makes a conference table a little more festive.

Stationery brand Minted offers a wide range of party decor including customizable table runners, like this one for a shower.

Leave it to Martha Stewart to come up with clever ways to use office supplies to decorate: colorful masking tape on folders, glue small balloons to wooden sticks (maybe coffee stirrers would work?), and crafting a customized birthday banner out of bright sticky notes.

In case you haven't heard about our sister company SKY Armory, we wanted to share a little more information. Yesterday, the team at SKY held a press day where members of the press, local bloggers, and community activists were invited to get a hard hat tour of the property while learning more about SKY from our owner Nicole Samolis and the SKY executive team Amy Preble, sales manager, Jason Neville, food & beverage manager, and Jason Jessmore, executive chef.

SKY had a great turnout and has already received some lovely press mentions from the reporters who attended:

The building is still under construction and will be open mid-September for their first event. SKY Armory is also hiring for various positions in the events and food service areas - employment opportunities.

Many of our most-pinned images on Pinterest come from our Mission Alfresco board, which features design ideas and inspiration for an exciting event we've worked on in the past benefiting the Rescue Mission. In keeping with the branding of the Rescue Mission, everything about the event and the board is red. I'm not sure if its the color alone that draws pinners to these images or what ideas or emotions the images trigger, but we do know that color strongly influences moods and opinions.

One of our most popular pins from the Mission Alfresco board.

Companies spend much time and effort on their branding and color scheme because logos are signifiers telegraphing a message to others and people tend to remember how something looked more than what it said. Interestingly, this week Guy Kawasaki posted a link to this artist's take on color-swapped corporate logos.

Whether you're trying to soothe, excite, or appear trustworthy, how people perceive color is a big part of eliciting those emotions. In a recent BizBash article, color expert Kate Smith said, “Whether we realize it or not, color affects us and our decision-making.” If you're trying to send a message that you or your product are natural or eco-friendly, for example, you would likely incorporate shades of green; if you wanted to come across as a bit edgy, perhaps you would select black and white and a bold accent color.

It probably goes without saying that color is a major foundation of the look and feel of an event. In addition to selecting or recommending linen colors, which is a primary way of bringing color into your event design, we often take advantage of colored lighting to enhance a space.

The fun thing about color is that you can bring it in to a space in so many different ways: linens and fabric draping, chair covers, lighting, decor elements and centerpieces, flowers, and even the food you serve.

Of course you aren't only limited to your company's colors when hosting an event, but it's a good idea to have them represented in some way for continuity and brand recognition. The BizBash article closes with some good advice: "Smith advises being clear about your event’s message and using ­color to support it, just like every other element. 'When you’re creating an event, the purpose is more than just looking good,' Smith says. 'It’s creating something that you want to be memorable, and the color will help cement the message in guests’ minds.'”

While we can handle any color concerns you may have about your event, here are a few tips to keep in mind.

It’s now April, so your almost-graduate’s senioritis has probably kicked into full gear. While they’re finishing papers and projects, have you thought about the kind of graduation party you’ll throw to celebrate all their achievements?In May, we’re producing a tented graduation brunch for a young man earning his degree from Colgate. It will be a lively outdoor party with great food, live music, and fun lawn games. Colgate’s burgundy and charcoal colors are the starting point for the decor elements; we’re even customizing a game of cornhole to feature the university’s logo. Plus, the family’s guests will get to try out our brand new giant Jenga game! As if that weren’t enough, there will also be a craps table and a strolling illusionist to keep everyone entertained.

The invitations and the signs that will be displayed around the party all have a chalkboard design.

Guests will be greeted with mimosas and champagne, and as they celebrate, they will get to feast on an array of delicious food. They’ll start with fresh fruit and pastries such as maple-pecan braids and lemon poppy loaf. The brunch buffet includes French toast with Bananas Foster Topping and a grilled island chicken salad with mangoes, papayas, strawberries, pineapple, and toasted almonds tossed in a raspberry vinaigrette dressing. A chef will also be on hand to make custom fritattas!

When the party ends, each guest will take home an individually packaged graduation cupcake.

Your graduate worked hard get to this point and would probably love a party where he or she can blow off a little steam and celebrate with friends and family before heading on to college, grad school, or the workforce.

Whether your party is for a large number of people or something more intimate, we can help you come up with themes and entertainment ideas that will be a hit!

﻿What we do:﻿

The Events Company is a Syracuse event planningcompany specializing in the design, planning, and production of weddings, corporate events and meetings, galas, bashes, showers, milestone birthday and anniversary parties, and fundraisers.